It's been called the silent epidemic, and now, a national foundation is coming to Hardin County to bring awareness to youth suicide.

Suicide is the leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 10 and 24, but now, a new office inside a Radcliff hospital is aiming to stop suicide for good.

Advertisement

"Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death," said Clark Flatt, president of Jason's Foundation.

Flatt said the key word when it comes to suicide is "preventable."

He knows firsthand what it's like to lose someone to suicide.

"On July 16, 1997, I lost my youngest son, Jason, to suicide," said Flatt.

Flatt said Jason was an all-American kid. At 16, he did OK in school, was a great athlete with lots of friends and had no alcohol or drug habits.

Now, Jason's Foundation is aimed at recognizing and reacting to warning signs.

"We decided to start the foundation to help the three groups; students, teachers, educators, youth workers and parents," said Flatt.

Their brand-new office is open inside the Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System Hospital, a location they've been looking into for more than a year.

Those who work there gathered in Elizabethtown on Thursday to learn the ins and outs of their new resources.

"For us to be a phone call away and a local community member is very important to us," said Lincoln Trail CEO Charlie Webb.

This will be the 91st regional affiliate office for the foundation, which was founded almost 15 years ago.

Webb said the organization brings passion to an issue that he said is very real in the world today.

"Our numbers are high, our numbers are of concern. We fully expect that with the stress that our youth are facing today, with the economic situation that their families are facing, we expect that there's a great chance there will be a tremendous increase," said Webb.

"We can save a lot of kids that way," said Flatt.

The Jason Foundation also has offices in Louisville and southern Indiana.

The Jason Foundation's suicide prevention programs are in-use in all 50 states and in several foreign countries.

The foundation claims that four out of five completed suicides gave clear warning signs before the attempt.